


Flower Language

by theguineapig3



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Fluff, M/M, prompt: sunflower
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:20:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22040962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theguineapig3/pseuds/theguineapig3
Summary: A gift for Brave Vesperia turns into a gift for Yuri specifically. Flynn knew Yuri loved sunflowers, but he didn’t know why… until now. (Secret Santa gift for Lkcsi)
Relationships: Yuri Lowell/Flynn Scifo
Comments: 6
Kudos: 86





	Flower Language

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lkcsi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lkcsi/gifts).



> A belated, but very Merry Christmas to my good friend!! I really enjoyed working on this- the "sunflower" prompt was too fun to pass up, and I felt like it had a lot of great Fluri potential. I hope you enjoy it, and that you have a wonderful new year!

Flynn perused the displays in front of the flower shop, admiring the bright colors of the flowers that lined the shelves. Roses and carnations were popular, but there were also a few arrangements centered around irises and posies. The smell was absolutely delightful and had sent Flynn into a dreamy haze, making it impossible for him to figure out where to begin. He pushed the door open and entered, hoping the owner would help him decide on an arrangement.

This flower shop was the obvious choice, not just because they had done the arrangements for Ioder’s coronation and had one of the best reputations in Zaphias, but also because the owner was a personal friend. Flynn didn’t have to wait long before the sound of the bell alerted her to his presence. She peeked out from her workspace and her face lit up.

“Commandant Flynn! What a nice surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Angelina’s bright brown eyes and cheerful smile helped calm his nerves, and he reached out to shake the hand she offered. It wasn’t hard to see how she’d managed to sweep even one of his most serious knight captains off her feet. “It’s good to see you,” he chimed in reply. “I need your help, if you’d be so inclined. I’m here to purchase a custom arrangement.”

She perked up, expression brightening as though he’d given her some unexpected good news. “I would be  _ delighted _ to make an arrangement for you! Please let me know exactly what you’d like. Is it a gift?”

“Yes, a gift,” Flynn nodded. “It’s for some friends of mine. A congratulatory gift, of sorts.”

True, Brave Vesperia had been established long ago, but that was really only in the minds of its members. Officially establishing a new guild was a laborious process, filled with paperwork and waiting games while approval came down from the Union officials. Even having Raven, one of Altosk’s most prominent figures, on board didn’t help. So when they had received confirmation that Brave Vesperia was a registered guild, Flynn had called for a celebration. Everyone was coming to Zaphias, Estellise and Rita from their new home in Halure, and the guild members from Dahngrest. Flynn had a few days to finalize their celebration plans, and he wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

“Do you know what kind of flowers you want?” Angelina prompted, and Flynn shook his head.

“I really don’t know much about flower language. I want something that says ‘congratulations,’ and ‘good luck ahead,’ but also ‘I knew you could do it’ and ‘I believe in you-”

Angelina had grabbed a pencil and paper, and she shoved the pencil in his direction to cut him off. “Making a flower arrangement isn’t like composing a letter. You can’t just throw a bunch of flowers together and expect them to look good. My suggestion is that you pick one flower as a centerpiece for the arrangement, and I’ll give you some choices for accompanying greenery that would be suitable. What size arrangement are you looking for?”

Flynn blushed. He and Yuri had run deliveries for a flower shop near the Lower Quarter when they were kids, but beyond that, he really knew nothing about flowers and flower arranging. Much as he wanted full control over the process, he knew it would be best to leave it to a professional. 

“Something large… money is no object in this case… it’s to celebrate a new, um,  _ business venture _ .”

Angelina was already jotting down ideas. “A new business, hm?” she repeated, mulling it over. “Are you going for a traditional look, or something more unique?”

That was an odd question, but one Flynn could answer easily.

“Unique. These friends are one-of-a-kind.”

Angelina set the paper down on the table and motioned Flynn over to a corner of the shop. “Then my suggestion would be sunflowers. They symbolize longevity, so they’re often used as a gift for new businesses starting out. They’re big too, so we could easily build an arrangement to your size preference-”

She continued talking details, retrieving a large sunflower from one of the vases, but Flynn was only half paying attention. He stared at the sunflower, remembering similar sights from years past. They had been Yuri’s favorite, the old florist allowing Yuri to take them home when they hadn’t sold and were beginning to wilt. Yuri always kept them by the window in his bedroom, claiming it was because he liked the seeds and was trying to dry them out. But Flynn knew it wasn’t just the seeds Yuri liked. Something about the flowers always attracted him. But until now, he hadn’t even thought about why it might be. 

Longevity. Was Yuri interested enough in flower language to know that? The idea put his fascination with sunflowers into a new light. The amount of loss that Yuri had experienced in his life was tremendous, and it was no wonder he’d take to a flower that symbolized long life. But… was that really it? Yuri wasn’t the type for fancy double-meanings, and associating longevity with something that withered and died within a matter of weeks seemed far-fetched for him. Flynn knew that Yuri was more sentimental than he let on, but this was a stretch. Perhaps there was another reason.

“Miss Angelina,” Flynn began during a pause in her spiel, “what else do sunflowers represent?”

She stopped and thought for a moment. “Other meanings? Well, loyalty is one, the way they follow the sun in its path across the sky. Adoration too, going hand in hand with that. Good luck is another meaning that makes them good for new businesses. They can symbolize healing and recovery when given to someone who’s sick and injured. Sunflowers are also a traditional gift for a third wedding anniversary.”

“...I see.” Flynn closed his eyes. “Yes, that sounds right. I think sunflowers would be a good choice. They were always his favorite, after all.”

“His favorite, hm?” Angelina repeated, leaning forward. She didn’t ask who “he” was, and Flynn assumed it was because she already knew. Surely her girlfriend would have told her- or complained to her, more likely- about how often the commandant mentioned his relationship with Yuri. Flynn blushed and nodded, knowing there was no sense in denying it.

“Yuri… always loved sunflowers. But don’t tell anyone I told you. He probably wouldn’t want people to know.”

Angelina put a finger against her smiling lips. “I’ll keep it a secret, then. Now, what kind of color scheme are you looking for? If you want to emphasize the yellow, we could add some white flowers like daisies. Or, if you want some contrast, asters would look nice too…”

The two chatted about flowers for a while until Flynn was satisfied with the planned arrangement. They ended up making small talk about some of the knights’ recent projects until another customer came in, and Flynn left Angelina to run the store while he attended to his other errands for the afternoon. But as he made his way around Zaphias’ shops, his mind stayed on flowers.

What was it about sunflowers that had attracted Yuri when they were children? What did they symbolize for him? It wasn’t the third wedding anniversary thing, he knew that. But the other meanings could all have caught Yuri’s interest. Loyalty and adoration- as a child who’d been abandoned, those ideas were something Yuri valued highly in others. Despite their dire circumstances, everyone in the Lower Quarter had been devoted to one another, and it was possible that influenced Yuri’s love for a flower that symbolized such devotion. Could that be it? It reminded Flynn to stop by and visit Hanks and the others that afternoon, at least. But he still wasn't convinced.

Good luck. That was another potential meaning, one that Flynn considered as he headed back to his room in the palace that evening. His and Yuri’s childhood hadn't exactly been filled with lucky breaks. It would make sense for Yuri to fill his room with good luck charms when he could get his hands on them. Flowers by the window as a subtle way of inviting good luck into their lives? It seemed like a Yuri thing to do. 

But as Flynn prepared for bed, the last meaning nagged at his mind. Good health and recovery, Angelina had said. It was likely a meaning that stood out to  _ Flynn  _ moreso than Yuri. But could Yuri have latched onto it anyway? Could it go hand-in-hand with the idea of longevity, the desire to keep the people he loved with him for years to come after knowing the pain of loss? 

And if that was the case, would receiving sunflowers, even if they were directed to the guild rather than to him personally, bring up bad memories?

Flynn tried to drive the thoughts from his mind, but he tossed and turned the whole night, and the nights after that… he didn’t change his flower order, but when the actual celebration came around, he kept an eye on Yuri’s reaction.

“Wow, Commandant,” Raven was the first to comment on the arrangement, laughing to himself as he motioned toward them. “Ya didn’t have’ta break the bank over here with the flowers. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

Flynn smiled back at him. “I wanted to show my support for Brave Vesperia. Sunflowers are traditional to wish good luck for the start of a new business venture. I know this guild is more than a business, but-”

“It’s perfect,” Judith interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Flynn.”

“Y-yeah!” Karol wiped away a face full of happy tears and embraced Flynn. “This is the best party ever! Thank you so much!”

Raven laughed again and threw his arms around Karol, Judith, and Flynn. “Aw, bring it in, everybody! You too, pup, ladies, Yuri- get in here!”

Repede bounded over and Estelle dragged Rita along to join the hug, but Yuri didn’t move from where he was standing. He watched the group for a moment with an amused smile, then turned to look at the arrangement again. Flynn could see a wistful, nostalgic look pass over Yuri’s eyes, and felt a pang of relief. Whatever the reason for Yuri’s love of sunflowers year ago, he seemed to have retained the sentiment and was genuinely happy to have received them. Some of the others were beginning to protest at Yuri’s absence from the group hug, but Flynn didn’t mind. Yuri showed appreciation in his own way- and there would be time for them to share a private embrace later.

Eventually, the festivities began to die down. Estelle accompanied Raven and Karol to play with Repede in the courtyard, and Rita and Judith had fallen deep into conversation about one of Rita’s current research projects. Flynn approached Yuri, who had returned to admiring the floral arrangement.

“...you like the sunflowers?” Flynn asked, stepping in beside him. Yuri looked over at him in surprise.

“Just trying to calculate how many seeds we can get from these things once they dry up.”

“That’s not true and you know it.” Flynn nudged Yuri’s arm. “You’ve always loved sunflowers, haven’t you? Even when you were a kid.”

Yuri had a drink in one hand, but he held the other up in mock surrender. “Alright, Commandant, you’ve got me. I do like sunflowers.”

That wasn’t the answer Flynn was expecting. “You’re just going to admit it like that?”

“We’re both adults here. It’d be childish to get into a fight over my likes and dislikes. Why not just admit it?”

“...are you drunk already?” Flynn pinched Yuri’s cheek, and Yuri drew back.

“Hey! I’m just trying to tell you that I like your flowers, okay?”

The two paused and then shared a laugh. Yuri shook his head and gulped down the last of his drink before he spoke again. 

“Really, though, I’m surprised you remember. That was years ago, and such a little thing.”

“It just… came to my mind when I was picking out flowers,” Flynn admitted, taking Yuri’s empty glass and setting it on the table behind them. “I remembered you always having a sunflower or two in your room, sitting on the windowsill. What was it about sunflowers anyway? Is it something about the symbolism, or-?”

“Symbolism?” Yuri scoffed. “You’re giving kid me too much credit. I liked them because they were bright and cheerful, and… well…” He looked away, his sentence trailing off. Flynn had to lean closer to prompt him.

“And what?”

“And… they reminded me of you.”

Flynn stepped back, pointing to himself in surprise. That wasn’t one of the options he’d considered when trying to figure out Yuri’s love of sunflowers. “Me? What about me?”

“Well, they’re that bright yellow color, and- I don’t know, they were always so happy. It made me think of you, is all. I know, it’s stupid, but I was a kid, okay-?”

“It’s not stupid.” Flynn reached out and placed a hand gently against Yuri’s arm. “I just don’t understand. I wasn’t a happy child. If anything, I was an  _ angry  _ child. I was hurt and often lashed out at the people I cared about. Why would you associate happiness like that with me?”

Yuri leaned into his touch ever so slightly. “Because you made me happy,” he answered, his voice low to make sure no one else could hear him. “That’s all.”

“That’s  _ all _ ?” Flynn repeated at a normal volume. “That’s not a little thing. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yuri laughed. “What did you expect me to say? ‘ _ Flynn, these flowers represent my appreciation for your undying friendship? _ ’ I was ten! And besides, even if I was emotionally mature enough to recognize it, you would’ve laughed at me.”

“I… I…” Flynn stepped back, blushing as he considered what his ten-year-old self would’ve said if Yuri had said something so uncharacteristically sentimental. “...well, I’m not laughing now. I’m just surprised. This past week I’ve been wracking my brain, going over all the symbolic meanings of sunflowers to figure out which one was so important to you… and the whole time it was  _ me. _ It makes me feel silly.”

“You should.” Yuri nudged him again. “Symbolic meanings? Like I said, that’s giving me way too much credit.”

Flynn sighed and stepped around Yuri so that he could hug him from behind. He wrapped his arms around Yuri’s waist, pulling him close and pressing his lips to Yuri’s ear. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”

“Yes,” Yuri replied, pressing his back against Flynn’s chest. “But I can always stand a reminder now and again.”

“Now and again?” Flynn whispered, noticing that Judith and Rita’s conversation had gone suspiciously silent. Yuri didn’t seem to mind, however, and twisted so that he could look back at Flynn.

“Well, the flowers are nice enough to tide me over in your absence, but they don’t compare to the real thing. So I wouldn’t mind a reminder more often.”

The two shared a kiss and broke apart smiling at one another. Yuri’s smile was so beautiful, all of Flynn’s worries from the past week melted away. He knew something about Yuri that no one else knew, and it had been about  _ him _ all along.

“From now on,” Flynn began again, “I’ll make sure you have plenty of sunflowers to keep you company while we’re apart.”

“Flynnnnn~” Yuri whined, playfully nuzzling Flynn’s neck. “You’re gonna embarrass me in front of my new guild~.”

“Don’t worry,” Flynn whispered back, running his hands through Yuri’s hair. “I’ll be discrete.”

“Too late for that. I think we have an audience.”

They heard Judith stifle a giggle and Rita groan, but ignored them both in favor of admiring the flower arrangement once again.

It was beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as being together.


End file.
